Family bike shop opens in downtown Summit

SUMMIT — As the bike riding season begins, Hilltop Bicycles opened for business on March 8 just as the sun arrived.

Hb is a new concept, full-service family shop located on a busy main street in downtown Summit with a private customer parking lot. Inspired by European bike shops, they designed the shop with a state of the art, high design feel.

Whether you are looking for a bike for your child, a hybrid to keep up with your child or a full-tilt racer, Hb has it in stock. Co-owners Tom Dunn and Sam Cooper opened the store with a full-service approach. “We have something for everyone” states Dunn.

The duo has worked in local bike shops with a combined 20 years in the industry. They carry a full line-up of Giant, Scott Haro and custom built Guru. They stock nearly 100 bikes on the floor with an additional 100 in their basement storage. If the bike isn’t in stock, it’s a short shipment away. “We felt very confident in teaming up with Giant Bikes, and with their newly opened distribution center in Cranbury, shipments can be here very quickly,” stated Cooper.

Accompanying them is Marc Ivory, a well known mechanic who is locally famous for his meticulous treatment of repairs and builds. “I treat every bike like my own,” says Ivory. As an opening special, he is offering 50% off their repair labor.

Along with 30 kids’ bikes on the floor, they have hybrids starting in the $400 range and entry-level road bikes starting in the $700 range, but maintaining a certain price-point isn't the goal. Rather, it's building a community around bicycles and giving Summit something local while maintaining the destination moniker. In fact, they’ve already had visitors from New York, Staten Island and even from California and Tennessee.

“When I was a new cyclist, I was very intimidated by the bike shop,” recalls Dunn. “We created an atmosphere that is comfortable and inviting to all levels of cyclists.” The bar space in front of the repair area welcomes gathering and conversation amongst footage of cycling races on one of their three flat screens. “We love talking shop and we want to provide an area conducive to such dialogue,” stated Dunn. “This is our passion,” interjects Cooper. “We love cycling and want you to love it just as much.”